Vertical axis, rotary hydraulic coupling



A ril 14, 1953 w. P. SHURTS 2,634,583

VERTICAL AXIS, ROTARY HYDRAULIC COUPLING Original Filed Feb. 1, 1946 3Sheets-Sheet 1 April 14, 1953 w. F. sHuRTs 2,634,583

VERTICAL AXIS, ROTARY HYDRAULIC COUPLING Original Filed Feb. 1, 1946 3Sheets-Sheet 2 JflI/fl for" ll/zlv 1 .15 56 ur lfg April 14, 1953 w, F,SHURTS 2,634,583

VERTICAL. AXIS, ROTARY HYDRAULIC COUPLING Original Filed Feb. 1, 1946 3Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Apr. 14, 1953 VERTICAL AXIS, ROTARY HYDRAULICCOUPLING Wilbur F. Shurts, Rockford, Ill., assignor to Twin Disc ClutchCompany, Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Original applicationFebruary 1, 1946, Serial No.

644,863. Divided and this application Decem ber 15, 1948, Serial No.65,491

- My invention relates to vertical axis, hydraulic couplings and moreparticularly to a unit of this type which is arranged to preventexcessive trapping of air during filling.

As habitually used, the axis of a hydraulic coupling is positionedhorizontally, but there are occasional installations in which it isdesirable that the axis be vertically located. This change in positionintroduces a problem that is not encountered in horizontal operation.When a hydraulic coupling is initially charged with working liquid,usually an oil, about 90% of the space within the coupling is filledwith oil, leaving about a 10% air space to accommodate expansion of theoil as its temperature rises during operation, the coupling referred tobeing of the closed type. In the horizontal coupling, this result isaccomplished by rotating the coupling until the filler opening ispositioned a predetermined distance from the topmost part of the unit.

However, when a coupling is operated vertically, its radial, liquidpassages are disposed horizontally so that When filled from the top,

the volume of air that is trapped by the walls oi the passages is solarge that it is impossible to introduce a suificient amount of theworking liquid.

It is therefore the principal object of my invention to provide ahydraulic coupling for vertical operation whose interior is arranged toprevent air trapping when filled and to insure its filling with anadequate quantity of the working liquid.

A further object is to provide a coupling of the character indicated inwhich the impeller and runner members are provided with vent openingsthrough which air that would otherwise be trapped by the liquid pouredinto the coupling flows to the upper part of the coupling, the ventsbeing arranged to provide an accumulation of air sufiicient toaccommodate expansion of the working liquid during operation of thecoupling.

These and further objects of the invention will be set forth in thefollowing specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and the novel means by which said objects are effectuated willbe definitely pointed out in the claims.

This application is a division of my copending application for avertical axis hydraulic coupling, Ser. No. 644,863, filed February 1,1946, now abandoned.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of one form of the invention showing theimpeller in uppermost position. r

Claims. (01. 60-54) Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, plan view of the runnershown in Fig. 1, looking downwardly, the core ring being omitted.

Fig. 3 is a partial view of the impeller shown in Fig. 1, looking in thedirection of the arrow 3, the core ring being omitted.

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of a twin circuit, hydraulic couplingembodying the invention.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the numeral It designates a collarproviding a driving connection between a shaft (not shown) whose axis isvertical and the inner rim of a cover I l to which the collar is securedby means of studs I2. The cover H closes the bottom of the coupling andits apertured central portion may be closed by the collar Ill. The outerrim of the cover ll is secured in any approved manner to the outer rimof an impeller l3 which faces downwardly and is provided withalternating long and short blades l4 and I5, respectively, and a corering it which together define the characteristic radially, liquidpassages.

A runner H is disposed beneath the impeller 13 and is provided withalternating long and short blades 18 and I9, respectively, and a corering 28) which forms radial liquid passages that are located infacingand cooperating relation to the similar passages of the impeller l3,thus forming a single circuit, hydraulic coupling. The runner I! isconnected to a hub 2| that is keyed to a driven shaft 22 coaxial withand extending upwardly through the impeller 13. However, power flowthrough the coupling may be reversed without affecting its operabilityand, in this event, the impeller l3 becomes a runner and the runner llserves as an impeller.

As a means of sealing the top of the coupling around the shaft 22, acushion ring 23 is mounted on a shouldered, upper portion of the hub 2|and resting on the ring 23 in clearance relation to the hub andencircling the shaft 22 is a .mating ring 24 having an annular nose 25.The ring 24 rotates with the hub 2| and sealingly contacting the nose 25is a packing ring 26 whose contact is constantly maintained by a helicalspring 21, the opposite ends of which respectively abut the ring 26 anda carrier ring 28 that is clamped against the top wall of the impellerit by a plate 29 through which the shaft '22 extends. A bellows 30encircles the shaft 22 and has its opposite ends secured to the rings 26and 28, respectively.

A filler opening 3| is provided in the impeller 13 and is positioned sothat at least a portion thereof is coincident with the inner, topsurface 32 of the impeller. I This opening is closedby a screw plug 33.So far as described, the coupling is identical with the characteristicunit that operates with its axis horizontal, but certain modificationsbecome important when the coupling operates vertically to insure itsfilling with the correct amount of liquid and no more, having. regard toaccommodating expansion of the i liquid in a closed coupling.

The horizontal web portion 34 of the runner l1 between the hub 21 andthe working circuit part of the runner is provided with a plurality ofapertures 35, while the annular, horizontal portion 36 of the workingcircuit wall is provided with a plurality of apertures 31 which arespaced to register with alternate passages formed by the blades and i5(see Figs. 1 and 2). Apertures 33 are also formed in the core ring andthese apertures respectively register with the same passages with whichthe apertures 31 communicate.

The impeller core ring [6 is provided with P apertures 35 which registerwith alternate passages defined by the blades 14 and I5. To prevent airtrapping at the center of the coupling, oppositely disposed, radialslots illare out through the annular, impeller wall H which partiallydefines the inlets to the working passages of the impeller.

When the liquid is poured into the coupling, it fills the cover 1 l andrises upwardly through the apertures 35, 31, 38 and 39 and around theperiphery of the runner, completely filling the passages in the runnerand without trapping any air. The liquid also completely fills theworking passages in the impeller that register with the filler opening3i as shown in Fig. 1, but all other passages in the impeller fill to alevel about as represented by the line 82 in Fig. 1 which is determinedby the depth of the slots 4a The unfilled spaces in the latter passagesprovide the approximately 10% expansion factor that is normally requiredto accommodate expansion of the liquid in a closed coupling.

The above arrangement of venting apertures and slots is equallyapplicable to a twin circuit coupling since the latter would difier fromthe single circuit unit shown only in substituting for the cover H .asecond impeller which faces upwardly and securing in back to backrelation to the runner il a second runner in cooperating relation to thesubstituted impeller.

Such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 4 wherein downwardly and upwardlyfacing impellers 43- and 44, respectively, are connected in spacedrelation. These impellers are identical in every respect with theexception that the impeller 43 is provided with a filler opening 45 thatis closed by a plug as, the opening being related to certain of theworking passages of the impeller 63 as described for the impeller is inFig. 1. The central portion of the impeller 43 is closed by a collar 41which may provide a connection with a driving member (not shown). Theimpellers 43 and 44 include core rings 48 and as having ventingapertures 50 and 5|, all respectively, and the impeller 43. additionallyincludes radial slots 52 which connect the working passages with thecentral portion thereof, all as described for the impeller l3.

' Interposed between the impellers 43 and 44 and in respectivecooperating relation therewith are runners 53 and 5 which are secured inback to back relation with their hubs connected to a shaft 55 thatextends downwardly and is surrounded for a portion of its length by asealing means, 7

r 4 identical with the bellows seal shown in Fig. 1, except that it isreversed in position. Each of the runners 53 and 54 is identical withthe runner 11 in Fig. 1 and therefore respectively include ventingapertures 51 and 58 in their core rings, venting apertures 59 and 60 inthe horizontal portions of the working circuit walls, and ventingapertures GI and 62 in their hub portions.

Hence, when the coupling is filled through the opening 45, the liquidwill completely fill the working passages of the impeller 44 and therunners 53 and 54, air being vented from these elements through theapertures 5|, 58, 60, 62, 59, BI and 57. Further, the liquid willcompletely fill those working passages in the impeller 43 with which theopening 45 immediately communicates and the remaining passages will fillto about the line 6'3 in the same manner as described for the impellerE3. The coupling then contains an adequate amount of working liquid withsufiiclent air space left to accommodate expansion.

I claim:

1. In a vertical axis, rotary, hydraulic coupling of the closed type,the combination of upper and lower, semi-toroidal, bladed membersarranged in facing relation to define a torus chamber, the

lades dividing the respective semi-toroidal chambers into radial liquidpassages and the upper member having a filler opening registering withat least one radial passage thereof, and a plurality of venting passagesconnecting selected radial passages in the upper member including saidone passage with the portion of the upper member radially inward of thesemi-toroidal chamber thereof whereby said one radial passage is filledwith working liquid and air is trapped in the remaining passages of theupper member in an amount suificient to accommodate expansion of theworking liquid during operation of the coupling.

2. In a vertical axis, rotary hydraulic coupling of the closed type, thecombination of upper and lower, semi-toroidal, bladed members arrangedin facing relation to define a torus chamber, the semi-toroidal chamberof each member including a cup-shaped annulus and a core ring spacedtherefrom which definewith the associated blades a plurality of radialliquid passages, the core ring in the upper member having a plurality ofupwardly venting apertures and the upper member having a filler openingregistering with at least one radial passage thereof, and a pair ofslots in the radially inward, annulus wall of the upper member forconnecting a pair of radial passages thereof with the axial portion ofthe coupling, the slots extending upwardly from the lower edge of saidwall and terminat ng below the tops of the associated radial passages,respectively, and one of the slots registering with said one radialpassage whereby said one radial passage is filled with working liquidand air is trapped in the remaining passages of the upper member in anamount sufficient to accommodate expansion of the working liquid duringoperation of thecoupling.

3. In a vertical axis, rotary hydraulic coupling of the closed type, thecombination of upper and lower, semi-toroidal, bladed members arrangedin facing relation to define a torus chamber, a cover secured to theupper member in enclosing and spaced relation to the lower member, thesemitoroidal chamber of each member including a cup-shaped annulus and acore ring spaced therefrom which define with the associated blades aplurality of radial liquid passages, the core ring in the upper memberhaving a plurality of upwardly venting apertures and the upper memberhaving a filler opening registering with at least one radial passagethereof, and a pair of slots in the radially inward wall of the uppermember annulus for connecting a pair of radial passages thereof with theaxial portion of the coupling, the slots extending upwardly from thelower edge of said wall and terminating below the tops of the associatedradial passages, respectively, and one of the slots registering withsaid one radial passage whereby said one radial passage is filled withworking liquid and air is trapped in the remaining passages of the uppermember in an amount sufficient to accommodate expansion of the workingliquid during operation o1 the coupling.

4. In a vertical axis, rotary hydraulic coupling of the closed type, thecombination of upper and lower, semi-toroidal, bladed members arrangedin facing relation to define a torus chamber, the semi-toroidal chamberof each member including a cup-shaped annulus which defines with theassociated blades a plurality of radial liquid passages and the uppermember having a filler opening registering with at least one radialpassage thereof, and a pair of slots in the radially inward wall of theupper member annulus for connecting a pair of radial passages thereofwith the axial portion of the coupling, the slots extending upwardlyfrom the lower edge of said wall and terminating below the tops of theassociated radial passages, respectively, and one of the slotsregistering with said one radial passage whereby said one radial passageis filled with working liquid and air is trapped in the remainingpassages of the upper member in an amount sufficient to accommodateexpansion of the working liquid during operation of the coupling.

5. In a vertical axis, rotary hydraulic coupling of the closed typehaving twin circuits, the combination of top and bottom, semi-toroidal,bladed members secured in opposed and spaced relation, oppositelyfacing, upper and lower, intermediate, semi-toroidal, bladed memberssecured together, the top and upper intermediate members and the bottomand lower intermediate members, respectively, being arranged in facingrelation to define upper and lower torus chambers, the semitoroidalchamber of each member including a cup-shaped annulus and a core ringspaced therefrom which define with the associated. blades a plurality ofradial liquid passages, the core rings in the top and lower intermediatechambers and the annulus in the lower intermediate chambers having aplurality of upwardly venting apertures and the top member having afiller opening registering with at least one radial passage thereof, anda pair of slots in the radially inward wall of the top member annulusfor connecting a pair of radial passages thereof with the axial portionof the coupling, the slots extending upwardly from the lower edge ofsaid wall and terminating below the tops of the associated radialpassages, respectively, and one of the slots registering with said oneradial passage whereby said one radial passage is filled with workingliquid and air is trapped in the remaining passages of the upper memberin an amount sufficient to accommodate expansion of the working liquidduring operation of the coupling.

WILBUR F. SHURTS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,572,972 Tabb Feb. 16, 1926 2,240,270 Schaefer Apr. 29, 19412,375,635 Dyer May 8, 1945 2,380,596 Hertrich July 31, 1945 2,397,869Kirby Apr. 2, 1946 2,404,900 Carlson July 30, 1946 2,468,107 Powell Apr.26, 1949

